1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and computer program products for processing hypertext transfer protocol (“HTTP”) requests received via a computer network and, more particularly, to methods and computer program products for prioritizing the processing and transmission of responses to such HTTP requests.
2. The Relevant Technology
The rapid growth in computer network traffic during recent years has placed increasing demands on networks and their administrators. Increased network usage leads to increased congestion and compromises the network end user's experience. One solution is to add additional network capacity in an attempt to relieve the congestion, but that solution may suffice for only a relatively short period of time before the network is congested again and the cycle repeats.
Quality of Service (“QoS”) mechanisms enable a network administrator to more effectively manage network resources. These mechanisms have the effect of simultaneously improving the network service experienced by end users and reducing the rate at which capacity must be increased, by allowing network administrators to prioritize network traffic. More specifically, QoS provides a mechanism to give priority to certain packets by marking them so that devices on the network can give these packets priority as opposed to other packets.
The popularity of one particular network, the internet, has exploded in recent years. Unfortunately, however, QoS mechanisms are not currently provided for processing HTTP requests received via the internet. Therefore, what is needed is a QoS mechanism that allows Web administrators to provide priority to certain HTTP requests based on criteria or policies defined by the Web administrator based on the unique needs and service requirements of the particular Web application.